I will start by saying that carob is not chocolate. It doesn’t taste like chocolate. It won’t ever taste like chocolate. The similarity is that both powders are brown. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise (I am a fervent lover of dark chocolate). That said, I think carob is an interesting and great flavor – as long as no one is trying to pass it off as chocolate, and we use it in a variety of recipes.… Continue reading
recipes
Fruit-Sweetened Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
Another warm day tells us that summer is definitely just around the corner. And when warm weather comes, a cold afternoon treat feels just about perfect. I had one request for Banana Ice Cream (recipe HERE) and one request for Chocolate Ice Cream (recipe HERE), so we decided to combine the two and make Banana Chocolate Ice Cream. It’s fruit sweetened, so there’s no added sugar, it tastes great, and it’s very simple to make.… Continue reading
Green Piña Colada Smoothie
With today’s sunny weather, my boys and I were happy to sit on the deck and enjoy a drink in the sunshine. We don’t have a beach near by, but this drink brought the tropics to our Rocky Mountain home.
It’s full of tropical fruity goodness, including bananas, pineapple, and mango. It has a dose of healthy fats from the coconut butter, which in addition to coconuts many health benefits also lowers the overall glycemic index of the drink.… Continue reading
Roasted Carrot Fries
I’ve been looking for new snack ideas that my boys will be excited about. They love almost any type of vegetable that we roast: kale (see HERE), beets, cauliflower, seaweed, and broccoli. Today we decided to make roasted carrots.
In the past when we’ve made roasted carrots, I cut them into rounds using my food processor (that’s definitely faster), and we’ve called them carrot chips.… Continue reading
Grain-Free Coconut Muffins
Right now, my 6-year-old is very interested in learning kitchen skills. He very sweetly told his Dad, “You know why I want to learn to cook? Because Mama is cooking all the time. And I really like to help. And I can help her a lot if I do some of the cooking.” Whatever his personal motivation was today, it’s important to me that both of my boys know how to cook and grow to be self-sufficient in the kitchen.… Continue reading
Bean-Free Vegetable and Beef Chili
As part of my meal planning, I try to make at least one meal over the weekend or early in the week that will leave us with significant leftovers to eat as breakfasts and lunches throughout the rest of the week. Sometimes it’s a soup (like THIS), sometimes it’s a casserole (like THIS), sometimes it’s a stir fry or curry (like THIS or THIS), and sometimes it’s something else entirely.… Continue reading
Simple, No-Bake Sesame Snack Bars
My husband works from home, and is frequently looking for a quick, healthy, snack that he can grab and bring back out to his office. He wanted something that tastes great. I wanted something that’s healthy, nourishing, and without too many sugars – natural or otherwise.
These simple bars accomplish both goals. With their light sesame taste, they reminded me of a lightly sweetened, less-intense version of halva.… Continue reading
Braised Greens with Cranberries
Dark leafy greens are so wonderfully healthy that I try hard to incorporate a good amount of greens into our daily diet. I find myself adding them to just about everything: smoothies, eggs, ice pops, fruit leather, stir fries, casseroles, and so on. But sometimes greens deserve the spotlight all on their own, especially when they’re in season and especially delicious.… Continue reading
Grain-Free, Fruit-Sweetened Cinnamon Apple Cake
Yesterday my 6-year-old realized that he could read the word “cake.” (Yes, we’re still at the point where he’s very excited whenever he can read a new word.) He asked if we could make a cake to celebrate. How can I say no to that?
So I pulled out a recipe that I enjoyed a while back from Elana’s Pantry, and modified it a bit, including changing the sweetener to dates in place of the agave.… Continue reading
No Bake Healthy Carob Fudge (Vegan, Paleo, GAPS)
I was recently looking for a variation on the typical fruit and nut bars we keep around for quick afternoon treats. I remembered making this recipe that I last made years ago, and decided to pull it out again to see how my boys liked it. They both loved it, and it’ll likely make its way into our regular rotation again.… Continue reading